Cool New High-Tech Swag - The Write Light USB Hub

Here's a new swag idea I found this month and wanted to share with you. Simple, clever, high-tech, goes on the desktop and costs less than $20... and it's also at least somewhat eco-friendly since it helps save paper and doesn't take batteries.

This item's main function is as a desktop USB hub, with four handy ports discreetly hidden in the back as shown. It's plug & play compatible with Windows and Macs, no special drivers are needed to install it. The front is a softly lighted write-on, wipe-off surface that's specially designed for making notes and taking messages... never search for a pen and paper again!

I like the modern look of this hub, as well as the extra functionality of the note board feature, but what I really like is the light. Turn it on and it softly glows with a rainbow of changing colors. The effect is hip, modern and high-tech with nice clean lines. People are picky about what goes on their desktop, which is prime "real estate" for promotional product placement. This item combines good design with high usefulness, making it more likely to stick around the desktop for a long time.

Your company logo goes on the dry-erase pen, which leaves the write-on surface free for maximum note-taking space. The pen also has a special eraser bulit in to the top for added functionality. If I were giving these out as swag, I'd write a little note on each one first and then put it back in the gift box for giving... it's a way to make a more personal connection with your recipient and it would also demonstrate the note-board functionality for them.

One of the best things about this item is the super-low minimum order quantity of 12 pieces. If you need a cool gift for just a few favorite clients this year, this is a good pick. It would also be a great "sales call leave-behind" item to keep your name in front of key prospects and clients. And if your company has anything to do with the computer world, this is a great swag pick for you!

INTERESTED IN THIS SWAG IDEA FOR YOUR COMPANY?

I've put this item into our "Blog Collection" at www.swagconnection.com if you like to shop online. Easier still - just call or e-mail us for more information or to get your order started. We have lots of clients who find us through the blog and we'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading & keep coming back for more cool swag ideas!

Diane

I was just thinking about a conversation I had with a client who came to us looking for some clear logo-printed containers with lids last year around this time. When I asked her what her company would be using them for, she replied that they were planning to buy M&M candies in bulk and have their employees fill up the imprinted jars with the candies for holiday delivery to their clients.

Now, this sounds like a lovely idea. The client is a local bank that's located in the suburbs and is very involved in their local community. While happy to help with the imprinted candy containers, something about this project was making me feel a little uncomfortable - I began to wonder...is there potential liability when companies decide to go DIY with their food gifts?

The first experience I've had that made me step back and think about food safety was the way policies in public schools have changed when it comes to bringing classroom treats. Back when I was growing up, Mom baked cookies and cakes for our classroom and the school bake sales. I was so surprised to find when my daughter started school that home-baked treats are no longer allowed - everything must come from a store or commercial bakery now because of health regulations.

As I started to imagine bank employees filling up these jars with bulk M&Ms I began to wonder... are they washing and sanitizing the jars first, or just pulling them out of the box and filling them up? Is their hair pulled back? Are they going to wear gloves or at least wash their hands thoroughly before handling the candy? Suddenly what seemed like a sweet and simple idea was fraught with questions about safety.

Of course, as any good lawyer will tell you, safety usually travels hand-in-hand with liability. I began to wonder... if the bank distributed these food gifts to their clients, and heaven forbid one of them became ill or found a hair or a fingernail in their candy jar, could the bank face any sort of liability since they didn't fill the candy jars under supervision in a licensed & inspected commercial facility?

The USDA regulates the packaging of the items sold in our industry that are considered 'edible', including food gifts, candies, breath mints and even lip balm. To avoid liability, we're careful to choose suppliers who are USDA-compliant and ship these goods in containers with tamper-evident seals and the required ingredient disclosures.

My advice for the bank? While chances are nothing bad will happen, why take a chance at all? Instead of using M&Ms, I suggested they switch to individually wrapped candies instead. Doing so would eliminate the need to wash the containers before filling and, even better, would eliminate any possible contact between the candies and the hands of the bank employees.

Just like my client is an expert in banking, my staff and I are experts in promotional marketing. We're here to give you suggestions, feedback and advice for your promotions... and help you avoid expensive mistakes. Please feel free to contact us if you need a good promotional firm to work with!

Chocolate. Decadent, wonderful, delicious, irresistable chocolate. If you're searching for holiday business gift ideas, put custom chocolate at the top of your list... it's a gift everyone loves to receive, it's easily customized with your logo or artwork and there are options to fit any sized budget.

Promotional chocolate is a swag idea that's been popular for years, especially around the holidays. I consider it an earth-friendly gift since it's made from natural ingredients, requires little in the way of packaging and is completely consumed, leaving no waste. It's also something that's easy to share with others in a work environment and is appropriate for people of all ages and both sexes.

There are a ton of websites and catalogs where you can order custom chocolate with your logo, but they offer varying degrees of quality. You definitely want to buy the best quality chocolate you can afford - the LAST thing you want is to have your brand image associated with cheap, crappy, waxy chocolate! And the good stuff doesn't necessarily cost more - you just have to know your sources.

There are probably at least a dozen chocolate suppliers in the swag industry, but I've narrowed it down to my top three: Astor, Chocolate Chocolate and Chocolate Inn

ASTOR CHOCOLATES: If this brand name sounds vaguely familiar it's probably because you've seen it at resorts and high-end hotels. Using 100% Belgian chocolate in their US-made line, Astor offers a wide range of chocolate items from inexpensive coins and squares to elaborate boxed sets of their signature truffles. They also have a custom M&M's line of products. Astor Custom Promotional Chocolates are sold through distributors like Swag Connection. Click Here To Shop Astor Chocolate's Online Catalog

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE: Tied with Astor in terms of chocolate quality, Chocolate Chocolate is my favorite West Coast chocolate supplier. Their line is also made in the US of 100% Belgian chocolate. They offer a wide variety of custom items, including chocolate cookies and their popular "Chocolate Business Cards". Another thing I like about this line is their great selection of stock holiday items - they have Christmas and Hanukkah-themed chocolate gifts in a wide price range that can ship in 3 business days - perfect for those who wait until the last minute. Click Here To Shop The Chocolate Chocolate Online Catalog

CHOCOLATE INN: I'm including Chocolate Inn because they're the biggest chocolate supplier in the promotional industry (and the only of these 3 lines sold exclusively through promo distributors like Swag Connection). Chocolate Inn uses very high quality Swiss Chocolate, which to me tastes a bit sweeter and milkier than Belgian. This line offers good value and has the widest selection of custom chocolate I've seen. Click Here To Shop The Chocolate Inn Online Catalog

To close, I'd like to share one of my favorite quotes about chocolate with you:

"Researchers have discovered that chocolate produced some of the same reactions in the brain as marijuana. The researchers also discovered other similarities between the two, but can't remember what they are." Matt Lauer on NBC's Today Show, August 22

If we can help you out with promotional chocolate for your company swag or holiday giving we'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to call or e-mail us for help with your custom chocolate needs:

Sales@SwagConnection.com                  Toll Free:   866-247-4320

PRICE ROLLBACK!!
EMBROIDERED LOGO CAPS ON SALE FOR $3.32
(that price includes logo embroidery and setup!)

We just got news that our favorite cap supplier has rolled back prices to unheard-of 2005 levels for a limited time on their "7k Collection" of caps.

If your company, non-profit or school will need logo caps anytime in the next year, now is the time to order and save big!

Orders must be received by 12/10/08 to get this price.

These are NOT some sort of cheapie promo caps - they're A+ quality caps with the best logo embroidery in the business. These normally sell for $4.58/ea. You save even more because the $100 digitizing setup fee is waived. This is truly an amazing deal and I want to tell as many people about it as I can!

You can pick from 14 different styles at this price, and you can mix up to 3 colors per style. Minimum order is 144 caps. Price of $3.32 includes up to 5,000 stitches of embroidery in one location and the digitization of your company logo.

At this time when companies need to wring the most out of their marketing budgets, this is one swag idea that works for lots of purposes. At this price, consider these caps as a giveaway idea for next year's marketing events and trade shows. They have a high perceived value and offer excellent and long-term logo exposure. They're also a nice item to give to your employees or to distribute at your next Shareholders Meeting. You can include them in a holiday gift basket, or offer them as a gift-with-purchase item if you're a retail business.

INTERESTED IN MORE INFORMATION OR WANT TO TALK ABOUT A CAP ORDER?

Click Here to view the 14 "7K" styles and all the colors available at this price

TO ORDER - CALL OR EMAIL OUR SWAG TEAM:

 866-247-4320 Toll Free           503-281-6420 In Oregon

sales@swagconnection.com

Good Taste Never Goes Out of Style...

Holiday food gifts are by far the gift of choice for American business, and for good reason. Food is comforting, festive, and easy to share with others. At a time when many people are cutting back on life's little luxuries, a yummy gift of special holiday goodies is especially welcome and appreciated.

I'm sure you're familiar with Harry & David's and Hickory Farms, but you may not be familiar with Maple Ridge Farms. Sort of a best-kept-secret of the Corporate world, a whopping 75% of Fortune 500 companies send Maple Ridge gifts for the holidays, but it's priced to fit into any size company budget.

Since I've sold Maple Ridge Farms products to Swag Connection's customers for years, I can tell you first-hand why they're a better choice than those other guys. Number one reason is a no-brainer... they simply have better quality, better tasting food for about the same price. The nuts are big & crunchy, the cookies are soft and chewy, the English Toffee and Peppermint Bark are to die for and the Chocolate Almonds are wicked good. There are choices in every price range and the minimum order quantities are low.

The second reason is that every item you order from Maple Ridge is tastefully decorated with your company logo at no extra charge. This is one thing that really sets your Maple Ridge gifts apart from the rest while reinforcing your brand. Heaven forbid you order from those other guys and the little insert card gets lost - your recipients wouldn't even know who the gift was from! That will never happen with Maple Ridge - the logo decoration ensures it.

The third reason is presentation, and these guys have it down to a science. Every single gift is absolutely beautiful. Special boxes are used so the bows never get squished and the cookies never show up in pieces - every gift is perfect, every single time. They'll drop-ship your gifts directly to the recipients and can include gift cards or insert cards you provide. Again, when you compare how Maple Ridge gifts look when they show up versus those other guys there's no comparison. The Maple Ridge gifts look better, taste better... AND they promote your brand. 'Nuff said.

HOW DO YOU ORDER MAPLE RIDGE FARMS GIFTS FOR YOUR COMPANY?

Maple Ridge products are ONLY sold through promotional products companies like Swag Connection. All you need to do is contact us to get your order started.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE MAPLE RIDGE HOLIDAY CATALOG & VIEW VIDEO

Thanks for reading - I took a little vacation which is why it's been a while since my last post. From here until the end of the year I plan on bringing you lots of different ideas for year-end giving. Please feel free to call or email me any time with comments, suggestions or questions - I love to hear from the people who read my blog!

Diane Nudelman
The Swag Queen!